Crank

By: Ellen Hopkins

Narrated by: Laura Flanagan

Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high-school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, she meets a boy who introduces her to crank. At first she finds it freeing, but soon Kristina's personality disappears inside the drug. What began as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul, and her life.Listen to the sequel, Glass.©2004 Ellen Hopkins (P)2008 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"Hopkins writes in free-verse poems that paint painfully sharp images...detailing how powerful the "monster" can be. The poems are masterpieces of word, shape, and pacing, compelling readers on to the next chapter in Kristina's spiraling world." (School LIbrary Journal)

NOT SURE ABOUT THIS ONE

This book, just wasn't quite my cup of tea. It was ok, and it did tell me about the addict, but this type of book, is not my usual. It was well written, however and most people may like it.

Loved the amazing development

My favorite book series although so many times I wanted to scream "No!" lol

I love this book

This is an amazing hard copy read, but I feel like the voice could have been performed a bit better to really portray the deeper meaning. It seemed as though the reader didn’t portray the dark moments as well as if you read it yourself, but all in all the story is amazing because I love all of Ellens books and I am thankful they have it on audio now!

Amazing! :)

Would you consider the audio edition of Crank to be better than the print version?

No, because I haven't read the book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Crank?

When she gets raped and when she finds out Brendan is the father to her baby.

What does Laura Flanagan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her voice compliments the character she's portraying.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It didn't make me laugh or cry, but there was a moment or two where my jaw dropped.

Any additional comments?

Overall this was a very good book, and I enjoyed it.

Narrator is draining

I wish the narrator was better her voice does give one a headache. The story is great. Love Ellen Hopkins work.

I enjoyed this series

Definitely geared towards a YA audience, but deals with very intense, serious issues like drugs, rape and teen pregnancy. Follows the story of Christina Snow as she goes from being a promising teen to middle-aged mother. The third book really views life from the perspective of Christina's kids.

The narrator's speaking pace in books one and two is extremely annoying. She..... pauses.... like, all the time. In an effort.... to create.... the sound... of a hesitant teenager's voice. But its really annoying and..... often the pauses..... are inappropriately timed.

The drug use and its descriptions are hard core. The characters are relatable but not - like a kid or two I knew from around school but didn't really know. I was sad at the end of the third book to not know how everyone will end up.

Hopkins books are kind of formulaic and soap-opera-ish, but they are easy to listen to and the stories are compelling enough. I like the drama and the characters are easy to care about.

insightful

I hate drugs and this really gives a good kind of recap of how it changes lives, grabs hold and doesn't let go
I didn't love the narrator on this one

Good just not for kids

This duo was well written and eye opening. I listened to it because my 14 year old read "Crank." I do not think that these books are for that age group. I highly recommend that you listen to these books prior to allowing your kids read them. In my opinion these books are for older teens 17 and up. Nothing against these books as I said they are very good just a little too much info for kids under 17, especially "Glass."

Such a real book

Such an Amazing book ! Didn’t like the reader very much though lol wish it was a better one🤷🏼‍♀️

Gritty, real, sad, but beautiful

Overall, I loved it. Way too short, though. I'm glad there's sequels but I wish there was more to the first one. There were a lot of parts that I felt could've gone more in depth and detailed. At first the narrator's voice irritated me and way sounded way too "teenager" in an annoying way, but as I got into the story it really grew on me and made it feel more authentic, like I was in high school again with a friend telling me her story. I love the poetic writing style.

Beware of trigger warnings. I wouldn't say it glamorizes drug use because it definitely shows the dark side, but detailed descriptions of getting high could be very triggering for those in recovery. I don't want to give away any spoilers but I think people should know ahead of time that there is a pretty brutal description of a date rape.